Swiveling device for electric current



Jam l5, 41952 J. F. soRENsoN 2,582,800

E swIvELINC DEVICE FCE ELECTRIC CURRENT- Filed Nov. 221, 1946.

INVENTQR Jessi F. SmasNsoN Patented Jan. l5, 1.952

VSW'IVELING' DEVICE FOR ELECTRIC- CURRENT `Jesse F. Sorensonfliong Beach, Calif.

Application NovemberZZ, 1946, Serial No.'711,671

i claims. (C1. 173-324) vThis invention relates to swivel means bywhich two parts of an electric .circuit may be mechanically connected for relative rotationwithout `interruption of circuit through paths that areelectrically isolated from each otherl in the swivel; andthe invention is applicable for such connec.- tion between such parts irrespective as to` Whether such parts are both iiexible, or both rigid, or one rigid and the other exible.

Objects of this invention are: to provide an electric current swiveling device that is superior in simplicity, lightness, ease of manufacture and ease of assembly, and that. Will alford a practical anti-friction connection without use of ball or roller bearings; to provide an electric current swiveling device adapted for practicalapplication in telephone receivers at a minimum cost. and. that is applicable for use for electric cord connections with hair clippers, curling irons, smoothing irons, and electric lamps, electric Ydrills and in fact applicable in all devices invvhichl it may be desirable to turn one.` part. .of .the electri-. cal conductor of a` circuit axially relative to.` an adjacent part.

A feature of this. invention. is that. the electrical connection betweenthe relatively revolvable Parts, of each of the two electrical `paths inside the. swiveling device is made through resilient pivoting members, and I have inone instance provided an axialpivot. contacting. with :a conductive spring having a contact seat for the axis or the pivot, and in the other instance, have. also provideda, conductive spring having. antiffriction points of contact, and in each instance the spring that. maintains the electrical connection between the -ends of a conductive series alsoy forms a `part of the mechanicaliholders of the relatively insulated conductors.

An advantage of the invention is that thefparts may be. made of conventional screws, light stamp.- ings of metal, and mouldings ci phenolic lcondensation material.;A insulating fiber or other insulating material, .and that the assemblyfcanbe made quickly andperfectly byworkmen without technical training.

I. haveV discovered that by constructing-.the device in accordance with` this principle, Vthe swivelingaction remains perfect and the contact un-V broken.

v It is understcodthat the. terminals at each end of the device andalsoA the various, partsmay-be constructed l without departing from' the. spirit. of

theV invention but thek form shown is, atpresent` deemed most desirable itor il-lusImation of thel invention.

2 Other objects, advantages and features of in"` vention may appear from. the .accompanying drawings, the subjoined detailed descrir'itionand` y the appendedl claims. Y, The accompanying drawings illustrate .the inventionmainly on an enlarged scale.

Figure l is an elevation mainly inl axialsec` tion, of. an interchangeable electric-.current swivel constructed in Yaccordance with this invention and having push plug terminals at one end and spring terminals at theotherend; lines l, Figs. 2, and 3 and 4 on enlarged scale-indicates the plane of section. l

Fig. 2 is a fragmental view largely in'section on a. vertical plane at right angl-es tothat of Fig. 1, and indicated by li`ne12-z-2, Figs. land'.

. Fig. 3 is a section View taken on line 3-.-3, Fig. l.

shows a plan View of the anti-.friction spring con-Y tact bearing. Fig. 5 is a detached perspective view .of the rst conductive. .plug terminal and .the intermediate conductive cage element Vfixed thereto.

Fig. 6. is a, perspective view of the. rstspring socket terminal detached.

, Fig. 7 is arperspective viewof the secondspring socket terminal detached.

y Fig. Sis aidetached View of the conductive pini In the invention shown` there are two relative-lly'revolvable mechanically connected insulatingl parts and two electrical paths isolated from each otherr and each extending through both said insulating parts.

The rstcontact holder comprisesa housing cap I .and-a, disk 2'. The second contactliolder is a single piece made up of abase3anda hub-ll;

The insulating sleeve 5l iscentral tothe hub '4' and the housing shell (iV incloses the hub and ts.

between the base v3 and the-housingcap I y.

The housing cap "has arecess rI in which is'iit-` ted the finish plate 8,**and the'nish plate and the cap have orices formingI channelsilyl-l`ll to accommodate the/stems ofthe rconductive plug contacts IIJ, I0 which are respectively bent'v and perforated to form retainers shown as fet- H,- I Il', through which are passed a Yscrewbolt I2- andi-a rivet.; t2" that-secures the-fmutactg` thefscrewlbolt passes through the cap of the housing and engages bent conductive spring I9, that contacts the conductive bolt 2l which engages a conductive V-contact spring 23.

The plug contacts I, I form push plug terminals respectively at the ends of two isolated electric paths extending through the swivel.

One of such paths may be traced through the plug contact I and its retaining foot II, through the rivet I2 and the conductive cage I3, I3 to the conductive oating spring consisting of an annulus or ring I4 and having three radial arms I4 which rest upon the transverse web or bottom plate I3 of the cage, through the conductive sleeve I5, that is provided at its top with a flange I6 which is in'electrical contact with, and is antifrictionally supported by, the conductive floating spring I4 and acts upon said radial arms to compress the spring onto the transverse Web I3 of the cage, and such electrical path continues thence through the ring I1 that is connected to the inner end of the socket spring-contact I8, the body of which is the conventional well known V-spring form of socket contact spring.

The non-conductive ange 5 of the insulating 5, holds the conductive sleeve I5 in position with its flange I6 contacting with floating contact spring I4, and with its lower end contacting with the ring I'I, so that there is a rocking antifriction connection between the web I3 of the cage and the top of the flange I6.

The second electrical path may be traced through the contact plug I0', and its retaining foot II that is fastened by the screw bolt I2 on top of a bent conductive radial leaf-spring IS which is mainly free but rests at one end upon the insulating disk 2 into which the screw .bolt I2 is screwed, and which spring is bent so that its free portion I9 extends under, and is free from the disk 2 to a point beyond the center of such disk, and is provided on its under side with a pivot seat formed by a circular dent 20, that is centrally perforated as at 20 to antifrictionally rest upon the top of the conductive bolt 2I which has a rounded top 2l and a central guide pin 2I"; said guide pin extending through the perforation 20' so as to prevent lateral displacement of the spring I9 relative to the conductive bolt 2|, which extends through the eye 22 of the conductive V-contact spring 23 and screws into the hub 4 of the insulating base 3. The conductive bolt 2l being provided with a flange 2Ia.

Said insulating base 3 with its hub il is provided with contact spring channels 24, 25 for the V-contact springs I8 and 23, and has a central bore 26 in which the conductive bolt 2l is screwed and thus fixed against axial displacement.

I have vdiscovered that the bent conductive radial spring I9 contacting with the pivotal end of the axial conductive bolt ZI affords a superior conducting antifriction bearing for maintaining electrical contact with the conducting bolt 2l and allows a iiexible, adjustable rocking contact connection for the second electrical 'path through the swivel. It is thus seen that I have provided a swiveling device having therethrough two electrical paths, each of which has a rocking pivotal electrical connection, and have provided effective insulation in such device for vboth of such paths.

I claim:

1. An electrical path for an electric current swiveling device iincluding an axial conducting bolt provided with a rounded top and a guide pin that fits into a circular dent of a conducting radial leaf spring housed in a conductive cage having a bottom plate, and a conductive flanged sleeve mounted therein; a conductive iloating spring formed of a stamping of spring sheet metal and comprising an annulus having radial arms extending aslant on the out side of the annulus, the said conductive parts being housed in a contact holder and held in alignment by a housing shell and insulating disc so that when said conductive floating spring is placed with its resilient radial arms upon the bottom plate of v the conductive cage. the radial arms tend to maintain close electrical contact between the yconductive flanged sleeve on one side, and the ,conductive cage on the other side and said conductive radial leaf spring contacting the pivotal top end of the axial conductive bolt affords a superior conducting antifriction bearing maintaining electrical contact with said conducting bolt and allows a flexible adjustable rocking contact connection. i

2. An electric current swiveling device including a contact holder comprising a housing cap, a second holder comprising a single piece made up of a base and a hub having two electrical paths therethrough, one of such paths comprising an annulus having three radial spring arms to move said annulus in one .direction contacting a bottom plate of a conductive cage through a rivet in a retaining foot of a plug contact to form an electrical Contact in said path; a bent leaf contact spring in the other electrical path to resist the upward thrust of Said spring arms; a conductive bolt in said other path thatl permits the free end of the bent leaf contact spring to anti-frictionally rest upon the top of said conductive bolt.

3. An electric current swiveling device including a contact holder comprising a housing cap,

a second holder comprising a single piece made' up of a base and a hub; an insulating sleeve central to the hub through which is guided a conductive bolt; a shell enclosing the hub and fitted between the base and the cap; said housing cap having orices forming channels to accommodate the stems of coductive plug contacts respectively bent to form retainer feet; said plug. contacts forming plug vterminals respectively at' the ends of two isolated electric paths extending through the swivel one of such paths comprising a conductive cage; a conductive screw bolt extending through the cap and a contact retainer foot; an insulating disc into which said screw bolt traverses; an anti-friction bearing conductive spring having three radial armsl which rest upon the bottom plate of the conductive cage; a socket spring contact; a ring connected to said socket spring contact; a sleeve in electrical contact with the ring; a second electrical path comprising a contact conductive bolt; a conductive bent leaf spring resting on the insulating disc connected with said plug contact through said screw bolt and extending in a spring limb under and free from such disc to the center of the disc and there provided with a pivot seat; said contact screw bolt extending throughl the top of the spring contact that is in pivotal contact with the seat in the bent leaf spring that gives a swiveling action and unbroken contact.

4. In an electric current swiveling device of the character set forth comprising a contact holder having a housing shell and cap, a second holder comprising a single piece made up of a" 5 base and a hub and said housing shell tting over the hub oi said second holder to form a housing for the contact parts and swivel;` an electric path comprising a contact plug, a bent leaf spring contacting with the plug through a screw bolt and provided with a seat formed by a circular dent in its underside and having a central perforation in the dent, and a conductive bolt having a rounded head in the seat, and also having a central guide pin in the perforation so as to prevent lateral displacement, and said parts being encased in the housing shell.

JESSE F. SORENSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PTENTS Number Number Name Date Carlson Apr. 10, 1917 Dennis Jan. 17, 1922 March Feb. 4, 1930 Goucher Mar. 4, 1930 Halliburton Sept. 5, 1933 Campbell Oct. 24, 1933 Tsavaris Sept. 1l, 1934 Mayhew Oct. 9, 1934 Hollander Dec. 17, 1940 Cornell Jan. 7, 1941 Daiorn Oct. 20, 1942 Schmidt Apr. 19, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Germany Oct. 29, 1929 

